NSB Delivers $10,000 Check to Lights Out Gallery

NORWAY—Who knew a Portland power outage in 2019 would lead to a dream and the building of a community in the name of celebrating the arts years later in Norway?

“The power went out when we were holding a pop-up art show in my apartment but we rented a generator and kept the show going with construction lights,” said Daniel Sipe. “The attendance and the enthusiasm were so high. It’s where the name came from!”

That name, Lights Out Gallery, is a nonprofit arts hub currently occupying the 15,000 square foot building located on 10 Tannery Street in Norway. What was once a snowshoe factory in the early 1900’s is now home to a gallery, dance studio, artists’ studios, and additional spaces being renovated to accommodate further creativity and performance.

Sipe, along with his co-founders Reed McLean and Karlë Woods, purchased the building in 2022 and have since taken step after step to effectively and deliberately renovate, stabilize, and improve the facility so activities could be gradually introduced to the space. Currently, a large area on the first floor is being turned into a conference room, offices, and bathrooms.

The overall plan will take years to complete which is to be expected with a project massive in both size and potential impact. Such an endeavor requires substantial support from the community, including local businesses like Norway Savings Bank, which has donated over $48,000 to the organization over the last four years, including a $10,000 contribution delivered in early June (picture, caption below).

“We’re grateful for Norway Savings Bank’s continuing belief in what we’re doing and support to help us get there,” said Sipe. “Lights Out Gallery is focused on establishing a permanent home for artists from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. To have community businesses and organizations who have our backs in pursuing that mission is tremendously gratifying and inspiring.”

“It’s amazing to see the progress that has been made and the passion on display is incredible,” said Dan Walsh, President and CEO of Norway Savings. “It’s exciting for us to be a small part of this large and growing group of supporters who believe in both the power of possibility and the potential of a flourishing arts center right off Main Street.”

The goal is to have Lights Out Gallery shining fully by the end of the decade. If you can support the cause, visit www.lightsoutgallery.org/donate. The website also highlights the work that has been done and offers a glance at the bright possibilities that lay ahead.

“Every day, we get closer to a statewide arts organization that can bring people together through genuine connection, storytelling, education, and fun,” said Woods. “To have this special place where creativity is celebrated and the arts are enthusiastically supported by and for the wider community, what could be better than that?”

Pictured (L to R): Madolyn Luscomb, Personal Banker at NSB; Mariah Martin, Investments & Treasury Officer AVP at NSB; Caroline Sheets, Lights Out Gallery; Daniel Sipe, Lights Out Gallery.